Congratulations
by Shoryubug
Summary: Andre's ice cream was supposed to be for soulmates...so why did she give everything up for Adrien to be with Kagami if deep in her heart she always felt that connection to him herself?
1. Everyday Sacrifices

There was a lot to be said for personal sacrifice, it was something that Marinette never knew about before, the pain that came along with trying to do something noble, for the sake of others. It was an affront to her senses as she stared between Adrien and Kagami while they awaited an answer from her. She had known well enough that if the situation were reversed, Kagami wouldn't do what she had already surmised was the right choice for her in her mind. Kagami was about selfish action…and Marinette understood that and harbored no judgement of it.

Kagami was just like Adrien, the two rarely got a chance to experience things, so to be selfish was rare…and if it was going to make her happy, then Kagami deserved to relish in the selfishness…but Marinette wasn't like that, and she couldn't be like that or begin to think like that. Her eyes poured over every aching detail in their faces, the soft forest of Adrien's eyes, the deep and welling mystery that was held in Kagami's eyes…the freckles across Kagami's face, the tan of Adrien's skin, the way both of their smiles begged for her to just do something to have fun for all of them…and her heart sank like a stone.

Why couldn't they make the choice themselves? Why did it have to be her…and even then…why was she a good person? There was no other choice for her. It was like being backed up against a wall, with a cage enclosing from two different directions…there was no escaping this, suddenly she understood. This was just like chess, except her opponent wasn't Kagami for this match…this time she was being put into her place by fate.

So she told Andre the truth…that she thought Orange and Mint would be the better pairing, all for the symbolism behind it…Kagami and Adrien would be better, because she didn't have a place there with them, though she didn't vocalize those thoughts, instead after making her choice, she made her way toward her house, and with each step her heart grew heavier.

It wasn't fair that they had asked her to make that choice for them, knowing the kind of person that she was…but she didn't want to blame them. Anybody could have spoken up, but the truth was that they were all friends…and they were enjoying a great moment up until that point…she was the one that made it weird, all because of her strong feelings toward Adrien.

_'Congratulations…' _Marinette thought, before she placed her hands over her eyes and rubbed her fingers into her temple for a brief second, before the irritating megaphone attached to Roger Raincomprix broke her from her reverie. She now had a job to do…and being Ladybug always took priority over being Marinette.


	2. Moving Forward

Every day had been filled with something new for Marinette to learn from, and this day wasn't any different. Before she had gleaned life lessons from everything, but right now she felt empty. The man that helped to guide her during times that she had felt as though she were wandering through fields of nothingness was gone, she had just dropped him off at a train to meet the love of his life, because the memories that would have connected her to him had vanished, and now more than ever she had felt a need to have him in her life.

Her heart was heavy as she thought about Wang Fu, but at this moment she didn't have the luxury to dwell on those feelings. She had known that ultimately he would be happy on his journey with Marianne, and that he would finally get the peace that he had so often craved. It brought a smile to her face as the sunshine warmed her skin on her way to Canal Saint Martin, where she was meeting up with everyone.

Her arrival there was receptive as ever, everyone exchanged pleasantries while she and Adrien, who had both been late to the meeting point, had gone to Andre Glacier to grab their new flavored ice cream, his Mint and Orange, hers Blueberry and Bubblegum. Her heart had sunk for a moment as she remembered the last time they were there together not so long ago, and she had made the choice for him and Kagami to get a flavor together.

A soft smile graced her face for a brief moment before her attention was pulled back to the moment, away from the wanderings that her mind was often so prone to doing.

"Did you hear about Ultimate Mecha Strike's new DLC?" she offered, waiting for him to get his flavor scoops.

"Yeah, I heard they're adding in a new mech based on some character in Phantom Strikers! I'm really excited for it actually!" he stated with a childlike innocence to his voice.

"I am too actually…I just don't know if I want to pay so much for the DLC right now, I mean, yeah this one comes with a grappling hook, and the character it's based on from the other game is really popular, but that doesn't mean that every other mech they introduce will be as good, you know? It just makes me a little anxious, because I'd really like to play with all of the new ones, especially if I'm spending extra money on it just for that one, but…I don't know if it's worth it yet."

"Well if money is the issue, I can always send you some–" he began before she shook her head.

"No it's not about money…it's more…we don't have a guarantee that the other new mechs will be as good…or even good at all. I just want some sort of assurance that it's not going to be good for the first few months then it becomes lesser and lesser in quality, you know?"

"I guess I understand then…I can always buy it for myself and let you know what the newer updates are though, that way you always have a clue until you decide on if you want to get it for yourself!" he said as he grabbed his ice cream from Andre and the two began to descend the steps of the bridge together.

"That…actually that sounds awesome, thank you so much Adrien, I really appreciate it!" She said, before the two split apart from each other, and she had made her way over toward Luka, only to pause for a moment.

_**Experiencing loss is a part of life, but it doesn't define it. Because what really matters isn't whether you win or lose, it's the ability to accept changes in ourselves, it's accepting that even if life doesn't always give us the gifts we were hoping for, the real gift is life itself.**_ The words were caught, echoing in her mind as she gazed out at Adrien and Kagami for a moment. Fu was right in his letter…and she was experiencing loss right then. Her heart lurched for a moment, before she softly sighed and took the final steps over beside Luka, setting their ice cream down between them.

"You okay?" the guitarist asked, her eyes searched him for a moment, she had already known that she could trust him from her breakdown before…but…a million things swam through her head in the span of five seconds.

She couldn't pick and dwell on anything specific, but all the words that he'd said to her while he was akumatized rang through her head, the confession that had once tinged her cheeks pink, that was lost in the course of time until this moment, the way he had comforted her when she had her breakdown, how he had dropped his guitar…the one thing that meant more to him than anything, just to make her feel better. He had made sacrifices for her…and she had been blind to them…_just like she had done for Adrien, and Adrien had done to her. _

_'Congratulations.'_ She thought to herself, before she remembered something else. "So how about that tune, will you let me hear it?" she asked, and the guitarist's eyes widened for a brief second, if she had blinked then she would have missed it.

"Are you sure you really want to hear it?" he asked, and she nodded, just as his fingers began to grip his pick, and he strummed on the strings. A smile met her lips for the first time in a while, as Marinette closed her eyes and leaned her face in toward the sunlight, her feet tapping on the air to the rhythm of the song he'd made just for her. _'Congratulations indeed.' _


End file.
